Rosa Parks is the iconic civil rights activist who bravely stood up against segregation laws in the United States. Her refusal to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955 sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement. Parks' act of defiance and her subsequent arrest galvanized the African American community and brought national attention to the struggle against racial discrimination. Often referred to as "the mother of the civil rights movement," her courage and commitment to justice continue to inspire activists fighting for equality and social justice today.